Light source arrangements of the generic type serve as illumination means for headlights/spotlights, which must provide high light powers for very different illumination purposes. By way of example, headlights/spotlights of the generic type are e.g. vehicle headlamps, illumination apparatuses for data and video projectors, digital cinema film projectors, effect spotlights in the entertainment industry and illumination apparatuses for technical, industrial and medical applications, and for the illumination of space, in particular for the illumination of outdoor space, as are used for example in floodlight installations in stadia, and/or the like. The required luminosities require either very high-volume light sources or else they require a multiplicity of small power light sources, e.g. semiconductor light sources, as are provided by light-emitting diodes or semiconductor laser diodes. However, in order to be able to achieve the required light power, it is necessary to bring together the multiplicity of semiconductor laser light sources.
Previous concepts provide for each semiconductor laser light source to have a dedicated focusing lens and a dedicated deflection mirror, by which, by way of further diffraction optics, which, in particular, have a large lens for all rays of the laser light, is required. The underlying principle is based on the fact that the laser light is guided to a conversion material which interacts with the laser light and, as a result of this, provides light with a desired, predetermined spectral distribution. A phosphor or one or more phosphor mixtures are often used as conversion material. As a result of the high energy and power density of the laser light, the conversion material can generate a high light power of high luminance with a desired spectral distribution. Such applications are also referred to as laser activated remote phosphor applications (LARP applications).
Available semiconductor laser light sources in the form of semiconductor laser diodes are currently available with a power of a few watts. In the case of an overall required optical power of 100 W or more, correspondingly many semiconductor laser diodes should therefore be switched together and operated together, wherein the generated rays of laser light thereof need to be combined by a suitable deflection unit. In order to generate a suitable beam quality of the generated laser light, the semiconductor laser light source can have primary optics, for example in the form of a lens.
As a result of the comparatively large number of individual semiconductor laser light sources providing the laser light, an installation size emerges for the light source arrangement in the prior art which is decisively determined by the number and the arrangement of the semiconductor laser light sources and the deflection unit. The system integration proves to be ever more complicated if a high light power is desired.
Light source arrangements of this generic type are e.g. previously known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,356,577. Here, a plurality of semiconductor laser light source arrangements, arranged line-by-line, are arranged with a deflection unit in such a way that the laser light rays provided by the semiconductor laser light arrangements are diffracted to form a common beam. For this purpose, the deflection unit is provided; it is formed by a number of mirrors which are connected to one another in the line direction and it deflects the laser light rays, which are provided by the semiconductor laser light source arrangements and likewise arranged line-by-line, to form a common beam.
The use of such deflection units, which have a dedicated mirror for each individual ray of emitted laser light, was found to be complicated in terms of construction and requires much installation space. Moreover, comparatively long beam paths are required in the deflection unit, which is in conflict with a reduction in the installation size. Finally, the arrangement of line-shaped semiconductor laser light source arrangements vis-à-vis the deflection unit requires increased outlay. This structure is inexpedient for producing modern, compact headlights/spotlights and projectors, in particular for mobile use.